Anduril valued at $30.5 billion in round led by Founders Fund, chairman says

Defense technology innovator Anduril Industries has successfully raised $2.5 billion, pushing its valuation to an impressive $30.5 billion, as announced by Chairman Trae Stephens on Thursday. During an appearance on Bloomberg TV at the tech summit in San Francisco, Stephens highlighted the company’s commitment to addressing significant national security challenges. "It's essential for us to strengthen our financial foundation so we can effectively invest in the manufacturing and production issues we are tackling," he stated. Reports regarding this funding emerged in February, coinciding with Anduril's acquisition of Microsoft's multi-billion dollar augmented reality headset initiative for the U.S. Army. Recently, the company also revealed a collaboration with Meta to design virtual and augmented reality devices for military applications. The funding round, which has doubled Anduril's valuation since August, was spearheaded by Founders Fund, led by Peter Thiel, who contributed $1 billion—the largest single investment the firm has made to date. Founded in 2017 by Palmer Luckey, the creator of Oculus, Anduril aims to disrupt the traditional defense contracting sector, which is largely controlled by giants like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. The company has made the CNBC Disruptor 50 list three times, achieving a notable second place last year. Following his departure from Facebook, which acquired Oculus in 2014, Luckey established Anduril to pursue his vision in defense technology. Stephens also discussed the significance of the recent partnership with Meta, expressing hope for reconciliation between Luckey and the Meta team. In April, Founders Fund announced the closure of a $4.6 billion late-stage venture fund, with a significant portion of financing coming from its general partners, including Stephens. Anduril stands among the highest-valued private tech firms in the United States, securing substantial venture capital even amid a challenging IPO landscape. Although the IPO market is beginning to recover after a prolonged slowdown, Stephens indicated that Anduril is not in a rush to go public. "We envision Anduril as fitting the profile of a publicly traded entity in the long run, but we are not hurrying towards that goal. Our focus remains on executing our mission with full intensity," he concluded.